Spring 2014 issue 12

CAMPUS GETS TO EAT LOCAL AT FARMTO-FORK LUNCH

APRIL 23, 2014 ISSUE 12 VOLUME LXXXXVIII GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG SERVING THE SAN FRANCISCO STATE COMMUNITY SINCE 1927

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FREE

RECORD TURNOUT FOR IAMSU!

REACH OUT: Young Star (right) grabs Geraldine Kapen’s hand after she reaches for him on the Annex stage during the IAMSU! concert Friday, April 18.

M

LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS

BY MADISON RUTHERFORD | maddie@mail.sfsu.edu

any students may remember it as a makeshift library, but pulsating lights, pounding bass and a crowd of twerking college students have replaced tables, bookcases and computers in the high ceilinged, warehouse-like structure on the west end of campus.

The Annex, a place that was once

known at SF State as a quiet place to study, was transformed into a place to “turn up” courtesy of a free concert featuring Bay Area rapper Iamsu! and several student hip-hop performers.

Ivan Contreras, Chair of Music and Live Concerts for the Student Life Activities Board, said that the idea for the event

was conceived more than a year ago.

He wanted to book an artist that would appeal to both local Bay Area students, as well as transplants from Southern California and the rest of the country. He thought Iamsu! fit the mold perfectly.

SLAB CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

SCIENCE BUILDING TO REOPEN AFTER TOXIC SCARE

CAPTAIN PLANET: Dr. Stephen Kane, Assistant Professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department, poses for a portrait near Font Blvd. Jan 31, 2014. Dr. Kane has discovered approximately 50 different planets.

BY MICHAEL BARBA | mdbarba@mail.sfsu.edu

SF State officials have begun to schedule staggered times for students, faculty and staff to enter the Science Building from April 28 through May, according to a campus official.

“It’s more of a customized move-in process,” said Ron Cortez, vice president and chief financial officer of administration and finance. “We’re working with faculty and staff right now to start getting them back into the rooms.”

With one month left in the semester, some faculty will again have access to their labs while others will remain in trailer laboratories.

FACULTY CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Professor finds potentially habitable planet

BY CHRIS SANCHEZ | sanchezc@mail.sfsu.edu

TWITTER

@XpressNews

TONY SANTOS / XPRESS

A team of astronomers

including an SF State professor has discovered the first Earth-

size planet that may harbor liquid water in our galaxy’s coveted

habitable zone.

SF State Physics and Astronomy professor Dr. Stephen

FACEBOOK /GoXpress

Kane helped in the discovery of planet Kepler 186f, which is 500 light-years away, and roughly the same size as Earth. The planet was discovered in a habitable region around a star, also known as the “Goldilocks Zone,” where temperature conditions are just

WEBSITE goldengatexpress.org

UNIVERSE CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

or scan here:

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XPRESS YOURSELF

Faculty will return to Science Building CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

WE ASKED SF STATE STUDENTS:

Do you feel a sense of community here on campus?

“

There’s more of a potential for four year students to feel a sense of community on campus opposed to two year students or commuters like me.

PAULETTE TURVILLE, 56

Students who were relocated will finish the semester in their current classrooms.

SF State has also sought bids for two contracts worth an estimated $500,000 total for the remediation of hazards within the Science Building, according to documents posted on planetbids.com, a site where vendors bid on public contracts.

The University reserved $400,000 for architectural design and related engineering design services as necessary for the remediation of the laboratories, classrooms and lecture halls.

Another $100,000 is designated for industrial hygienist services including the sampling and analyses of hazardous metals as well as sewage bacteria and water damage.

“We’re actually fixing it more than just cleaning it,” said Cortez of the 60-year-old Science Building, which closed after inspectors discovered toxic hazards on the premises. “If there is a pipe that has asbestos, we pull it out.”

Belfor, a remediation contractor, and Professional Service Industries, an environmental consultant, have engaged in the abatement of mercury, lead and asbestos over a four-month period to make the facility usable, according to Cortez.

Maintenance staff worked with consultants to repair flaky lead-containing paint, replace asbestos affected pipes and floor finishes and clean dust with traces of asbestos in it, according to “SF State Science Building Remediation Summary,” a document obtained by Xpress.

Consultants also removed mercury from two rooms that store artifacts and engineering equipment, as well as from a utility trench where a thermometer had broken.

The air in the Science Building did not need to be cleaned, according to Cortez.

“It’s important to remember that the Science Building’s design has not changed,” said Cortez in a press release last week. Although a safety, utility and accessibility face-lift is

planned for several chemistry labs, Cortez said, “the Science Building has not been modernized through this process.”

Inspectors from California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration walked through the Science Building twice in April, according to an email from Sheila R. Tully, SF State chapter president of the California Faculty Association.

SF State students, faculty and staff have since begun hazard awareness and communication training in accordance with Cal/OSHA standards, according to a press release from the Department of Environmental Health and Safety.

San Tsitrin, an SF State physics major who works in research labs, attended a training session Tuesday hosted by environmental health and safety consultants Patty Beach and Colleen Thornton.

“I think it’s worthwhile for people who haven’t had hazardous material training before,” said Tsitrin, who added that

participants learned to identify mercury and asbestos.

In an annual report on SF State infrastructure released April 17, Certified Industrial Hygienist Lawrence Wong documented asbestos in floor tiles and pipes in 13 campus facilities, including University Park North and University Park South.

Spurred by contamination found in the Science Building last winter, university officials completed environmental inspections of buildings similar in age to the Science Building, including the Gymnasium, Creative Arts Building, Mary Park Hall and Mary Ward Hall, according to Cortez.

“Our staff is still in the process of reviewing the results,” said Cortez, who estimated that further information on the evaluations would be available within two weeks.

By the end of June, university officials will have conducted environmental inspections of the Business, HSS and Fine Arts buildings.

DIETETICS

“

I don’t think so because of sports.

Sports give a school a sense of pride and we’re not really into them here. It’s such a commuter school that people just want to go to class and bounce.

PHOTOS BY RACHEL ASTON / XPRESS

TOP LEFT: Outgoing Dean of Students Joseph Greenwell hugs Tina Marie Rossi, the aquatic fitness and wellness coordinator, at a farewell event in his honor in Jack Adams Hall in the Cesar Chavez Center at SF State Tuesday, April 22.

TOP RIGHT: A yearbook for Joseph Greenwell for attendees to autograph at a farewell event in his honor in Jack Adams Hall in the Cesar Chavez Student Center at SF State Tuesday, April 22.

LEFT: Joseph Greenwell laughs during a farewell event in his honor in Jack Adams Hall in the Cesar Chavez Student Center at SF State Tuesday, April 22.

LORRAINE COMPOS, 24 ART

“

I do within my grad program, but I don’t feel as connected to the rest of campus.

PATRICK SKEELS, 27

GRADUATE STUDENT, PHILOSOPHY

Photos by: Jenny Sokolova Reporting by: Julia Middlemiss

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Gators say goodbye to Joey Greenwell

oseph Greenwell, the Dean of Students, will leave SF State after eight years of service April 30 to begin his new career at UC Berkeley in the fall. Greenwell was the first standalone Dean of Students at SF State in more than two decades.

He has also served as Interim Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, where he was involved in everything from stu-

dent activities and Greek life—to disability resource programs, counseling and psychological services.

Greenwell’s replacement is still unknown, but the University will likely appoint an interim Dean of Students until a full search can be conducted. At a celebration Tuesday afternoon, the campus community honored Greenwell’s contributions to SF State.

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SF Supervisors seek student vote

BY KYLE DA SILVA | kdasilva@mail.sfsu.edu

DAVID CHIU AND DAVID CAMPOS DEBATED AT SF STATE LAST WEEK IN THEIR CAMPAIGNS FOR STATE ASSEMBLY

RACHEL ASTON / XPRESS

CAMPOS: Sonya Soltani, current ASI Vice President for External Affairs and SF State senior communications study major, speaks with San Francisco Supervisor David Campos after his debate with San Francisco Supervisor David Chiu at SF State’s J. Paul Leonard Library Wednesday, April 16.

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upervisors David Campos and David Chiu traded jabs in a debate last Wednesday in the J. Paul Leonard Library to rally support for their campaigns for state assembly in the upcoming June elections.

The two supervisors attacked each other’s morals, legislative styles and personal journeys to Harvard Law School.

Chiu and Campos, both Democrats, while similar in some ways, are not in others, according to Richard DeLeon, a political science professor emeritus at SF State.

“Campos is generally viewed as a more ideological lefty than Chiu,” said DeLeon, who is an expert in progressive politics in San Francisco. “Chiu more pragmatic and centrist, although still progressive at root.”

Chiu, who opened the debate with the recent history of California’s education budget, vowed to revise Prop 13, a 1978 ballot measure that cut property taxes to no more than one percent of the property’s cash value and that he blamed for California public schools’ fall from among the nation’s top to 48th.

“My number one priority will be higher education,” Chiu said.

Chiu also proposed creating a minimum mandatory funding for higher education, similar to what California does for K-12 schools, rather than the discretionary funding that the University of California, California State University and California Community College systems receive now.

Chiu closed his opening statement

with his resolve to increase corporate taxes to increase the state’s education budget, which receives 40 percent of the state’s general fund according to the California Department of Education.

Campos grinned at Chiu, looked down at his note cards and pulled at the knot of his tie.

“How can you say that,” he asked.

“You supported the Twitter Tax Break.”

The “Twitter Tax Break” is a payroll tax exemption incitement from the City of San Francisco for companies in the Mid-Market neighborhood that is estimated to lose the city up to $100 million, according to the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 website.

Chiu defended his action stating that it was part of his jobs platform.

“In the last four years we’ve created 67,000 jobs, two out of three of these jobs not in technology in case you’re wondering, and at the same time you’ve seen our budget as a city increase by over $1.5 billion,” he said.

Campos and Chiu narrated their experiences as the first in their immigrant families to go to college and how affirmative action gave them the opportunity to attend Harvard Law School.

“We have to uphold affirmative action and get rid of the presumption that diversity and meritocracy are not mutually exclusive,” said Campos.

Naeemah Charles, president of San Francisco State College Democrats was still unsure by the end of the debate.

“I’m torn,” she said. “Compromise is good, but (Chiu) may be a little too compromising. Still, (Campos) is firm in his beliefs but he needs to compromise, we need to get things done.”

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Symposium showcases student research

BY JAYDA MCCLENDON | jmcclend@mail.sfsu.edu

THE HEALTH EDUCATION STUDENT ASSOCIATION GAVE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT RESEARCH IN PUBLIC HEALTH

A

s Ytzya Sanches presented her research on depression in the gay community, she reflected on how she became interested in the topic: at a restaurant outing with her niece.

“My niece was shocked and disappointed by the waiter’s voice because she thought he sounded like a girl,” said Sanches, a senior health education major. “She wondered why he spoke like a girl when he’s a boy.”

Sanches thought about how her niece’s reaction might make the server feel.

From that moment she felt that it was important to address sexual orientation and gender in order to erase the stigma of negativity toward anyone who does not conform to gender norms.

Sanches was one of 13 students and faculty of the health education department who presented their research in the public health field at the Second Annual Health Symposium Wednesday in Jack Adams Hall.

The Health Education Student Association hosted the event as part of The American Public Health Association’s National Public Health Week.

“The student presentations

were excellent and it was a great opportunity for them to present the work they do in and outside the classroom in a professional setting,” said José Ramón Fernández-Peña, an associate professor in the Department of Health Education.

Sanches found that gay men are more likely to experience depression compared to heterosexual men and women and contributing factors to depression included preexisting conditions such as HIV and internalized homophobia based on social interactions.

Sanches also found that there is treatment for people experiencing depression but it can have side effects that range from mild to severe, from headaches to gastrointestinal bleeding.

One of the solutions that she proposed is to start changing the environment for everyone by informing ourselves and raising awareness about depression in the gay community.

She also suggested that people need to start using language in a positive way that is respectful of others and won’t make anyone feel as if they need to conceal their identity.

Sara Suter, another health education senior who spoke about Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), a mental health disorder characterized by persistent, excessive and

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOANNA LLAMAS/ SPECIAL TO XPRESS

PRESENTATION: Don Taylor, dean of College of Health and Social Services, gives his opening remarks before the Health Education Student Association’s Second Annual Public Health Symposium Wednesday, April 16.

unrealistic worrying about everyday things consistently for six months.

Suter, who currently has the disorder, discovered that the college population has a high vulnerability for GAD due to factors such as adjusting to a new environment and stress from finances and work, which can create symptoms including restlessness and muscle tension.

Suter mentioned that one of the barriers for college students for accessing mental health services is location, so she proposed that the resources on campus should refer students to off-campus locations

because they would be more private and suitable for the individual.

Some students do not use these services because they may be embarrassed to be seen by others, according to Suter.

She stressed that the stigmatization associated with mental disorders needs to stop in order for students to desire treatment.

“When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘we,’ even illness becomes wellness,” said Suter. “We need to gather the community and become more aware of this issue by creating dialogue and being an ally for support as a whole.”

When ‘I’ is replaced by ‘we,’ even illness becomes wellness.

Sara Sutter SENIOR, HEALTH EDUCATION

CSUEU campaign for greater funding

BY CHLOE JOHNSON | chloej@mail.sfsu.edu

An employees’ union is calling for increased state funding for the CSU system, more training opportunities for University staff and for tuition freezes to continue after Prop 30 expires in 2016.

The California State University Employees Union (CSUEU) started their Take a Stand Campaign last week to work on behalf of both students and University staff.

CSUEU has gathered at least 700 student signatures in support of “Take a Stand,” said SF State Chapter President Sandee Noda.

The union’s goal is to gather 1,600 signatures from SF State students and 20,000 signatures systemwide by the middle of May. According to the organization’s campaign website, University staff numbers and training levels are important both for student success and working conditions.

“People retire and are not replaced, so you see longer lines

for services,” said CSUEU President Patrick Gantt. “Everybody’s a little bit more frustrated.”

Pay for University staff has also stagnated, according to union Organizing Chair David Apelt. After seven years with no raises the union finally negotiated a 1.34 percent pay raise last year.

State funding for the CSU system was cut by nearly $1 billion a year after the 2008 recession, according to Mike Uhlenkemp, director of public affairs for the chancellor’s office.

“We’re asking for the same things,” said Uhlenkemp. “When we’re all on the same page in Sacramento, we present a stronger front.”

According to Gantt, while the CSU system’s financial situation is better now than it has been for several years, the system is still reeling from seven years of underfunding and budget cuts.

As state funding dried up, the CSU system raised tuition to make up for the losses.

When we’re all on the same page in Sacramento, we present a stronger front.

Mike Uhlenkemp DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, CSU CHANCELLOR’S OFFICE

Many students became frustrated, because they felt they were “paying more and getting less,” said Gantt.

“It’s doubtful that the state economy will be back to the point where we can get the fund-

ing without Prop 30,” said Gantt.

Prop 30 is a bill passed at the end of 2012, which taxes households making more than $250,000 a year and spends the revenue on education and other social services, according to the State of California’s website.

One of the conditions schools need to meet in order to continue receiving Prop 30 funding is to freeze tuition at 2011-12 levels.

Gantt said he is concerned about the potential sudden loss of funds after 2016 because underfunding in the past has led to problems like staff layoffs and overcrowded classrooms.

According to the organization’s website, another major goal of the campaign is for the state to recognize University staff as important for student success and graduation rates.

Along with tuition freezes and increased funding from the state, the CSUEU wants the CSU system to provide staff with more training and opportunities for

professional development.

Gov. Jerry Brown has so far refused to provide the extra funding that CSUEU and the Board of Trustees claim they need.

Gov. Brown has cited limited funds and rising healthcare costs in California as reasons to be cautious with the amount of funds given to the CSU system.

In a Board of Trustees meeting in January of last year, the governor suggested that instead of creating more class sections and hiring more staff, the CSU system should provide more online classes and reduce the number of units needed to graduate, a stance he reiterated this year.

“I think it’s kind of his personality,” said CSUEU Vice President for Organizing Mike Geck about Gov. Brown. “He’s fiscally conservative, he wants people to be more frugal. He wants to get California in a secure economic position” Gov. Brown’s office was unavailable for comment.

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T

H

E

PROFESSOR O F

T H E

UNIVERSE

THE PLANETS TO SCALE. KEPLER-186F IS SIMILAR TO EARTH IN SIZE, MOST NOTABLY, THE PLANET MAY HAVE WATER, WHICH IS VITAL TO EVOLUTION ON EARTH.

KEPLER-186F IN ORBIT

NEW PLANET: An artist’s concept of Kepler-186f, a possibly habitable planet founded by a team of astronomers, including SF State assistant professor Dr. Stephen Kane.

CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

right for celestial bodies to harbor water and possibly life.

“It causes all kinds of excitement when we hear about water because we know how important it was for the evolution of life here on Earth,” Kane said.

Further research is necessary to confirm if Kepler-186f has water or even an atmosphere, according to Thom Barclay, a research scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Mountain View California.

“We hope there are planets like our own out there and now we’re starting to find them. It really inspires us to continue on and tells us that yes we are going down the right path,” Barclay said.

Kane is no stranger to finding planets. As previously reported by Xpress, Kane and a team of researchers at SF State discovered a planet 250 light years from our Solar System, earlier this year.

Kane believes there may be an abundance of planets similar to Kepler-186f waiting to be discovered. The recent finding may put researchers one step closer to answering the question astronomers have always been fixated on about life beyond our own planet.

“We often fall into the trap of thinking that we are the epitome of the evolutionary process — that somehow all roads lead to us,” Kane said. “In order to really understand how life started on the earth it would be extremely significant to realize that life has been able to independently start somewhere

PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA/JPLCALTECH/T. PYLE / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

else,” Kane said.

Kane jokingly refers to Kepler-186f as “New Australia” in homage to his home country where he grew up.

As a child, Kane would sneak out late at night and lay on a trampoline in his family’s Outback backyard staring up at the stars, wondering about them.

“What I was doing was no different from what people did 2000 or 3000 years earlier. Now we do know more than they did as there’s been this gradual progression of knowledge and I wanted to be a part of that process,” Kane said.

Kane remembers growing up in the 1980s as a time of revolutionary space exploration when NASA launched several research projects including the Voyager spacecraft that toured the solar system for the first time.

“As a teenage kid I was watching this on TV and you knew you were seeing pictures of a world that nobody had seen before,” Kane said.

In the last few years austerity measures have led to budget cuts for several of NASA’s research divisions including its Planetary Science Division.

According to Kane, a loss of funding for planetary research will halt the discovery process at pivotal time.

“To cut funding to NASA at a time when answers are right within our reach is an enormous mistake and it’s the people of today who will really pay for it in the lack of inspiration which would otherwise be there,” Kane said.

“THE MAIN QUESTION WE EARTH

WANT TO GET TO OF COURSE IS, ‘IS THERE LIFE ELSEWHERE IN

THE ORBIT TO SCALE:. THE KEPLER-186 SYSTEM ORBITS A RED DWARF STAR, THE MOST COMMON STAR IN THE UNIVERSE, THOUGH MUCH SMALLER THAN OUR SUN. BOTH KEPLER-186F AND EARTH LIE WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE SOLAR SYSTEM’S “HABITABLE ZONE,” OR THE DISTANCE FROM A STAR IN WHICH A PLANET CAN HARBOR LIFE.

THE UNIVERSE?’” STEPHEN KANE: A VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH ANDREW CULLEN. WATCH THE VIDEO AT GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG/KEPLER-186F-SFSU

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LOCAL FARMS FEED CAMPUS

SEE WHERE THE FOODGROWING MAGIC HAPPENS AT GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG/ FARM-TO-FORK

TONY SANTOS / XPRESS ABOVE: Tyler Wescott, President of Eco Students, harvests ingredients for the Farm to Fork event from the Sol Patch Garden located behind Mary Park Hall near Lake Merced Blvd. Wed. Apr 16, 2014.

BY EMILIA ROSALES | eer@mail.sfsu.edu

ECO STUDENTS HOST FARM TO FORK LUNCH FEATURING FOOD GROWN LOCALLY

egetables from SF State’s Sol Patch garden and farms within a 200-mile radius of campus, provided hundreds with a four-course, all-vegetarian lunch to enjoy last Thursday.

The Sustainability Office partnered with the Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students (ECO Students) and Chartwells Dining Service to provide a locally-sourced meal offering vegetarian and vegan dishes for the SF State community at the fifth annual “Farm to Fork” lunch event.

The quad was filled with tables and fresh cuisine ready to prepare for the three seating times scheduled throughout the afternoon.

“I think people here have a general appreciation for people who are trying to source their food more sustainably and more locally,” said Tyler Wescott, the president of ECO Students. “This had been a good event to raise awareness as well as have a good time and enjoy good food and good people.”

The Sol Patch harvest took place the afternoon before the event. Eight bins of vegetables were ready to be harvested, including fava beans, bok choy and many different types of lettuce. The lettuce pulled from the community garden was used for the organic mixed greens salad.

The Sol Patch Garden

was one of many local farms involved in sourcing food for the lunch. Hodo Soy, Gourmet Mushroom and Riverdog Farms, were among others who participated.

“If I were a food critic, this would be five stars on the president scale. That was delicious,” said SF State President Leslie E. Wong. “Eating locally is supporting the local people and yet the food is healthy and good for you.”

To warm the palate, organic shredded beets with crumbled goat cheese was served, along with creamy avocado and cilantro hummus.

Long-stem carrots and celery were served for dipping in the hummus.

The second course was filled with spring vegetable risotto and tofu, with a light thai coconut curry sauce, accompanied with organic bok choy.

The dessert was set up on its own table: warm, strawberry rhubarb cobbler.

“A lot of people were excited about the coconut curry tofu, which sounds pretty exotic and also the potatoes had a really nice pesto sauce on them, so they looked really good,” said Caitlyn Scherer, a Sustainable Initiatives intern with Chartwells.

Guests left the event full and satisfied. The small amount of leftovers went to the organizers of the event.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA CHRISTIAN / XPRESS

LEFT: Students and faculty gather at long tables in SF State’s quad for Farm to Fork, a lunch event held Thursday, April 17.

ABOVE: Chef James Dame pours an olive oil dressing over grilled artichokes to be served at Farm to Fork, a lunch event hosted by SF State’s Sustainability Office and ECO Students Thursday, April 17.

Arts & Entertainment

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SLAB invites local rapper to unite campus

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CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

UDAN WILLIAMS, better known as his stage name Iamsu!, is a rapper and producer from Richmond, Calif.

His sound is reminiscent of artists associated with the Hyphy movement, a culture that stemmed from Bay Area hip-hop music in the late 90s.

He has collaborated with artists such as Wiz Khalifa, 50 Cent, Sage the Gemini and E-40.

Though he has a strong following in the Bay, his bassheavy, high-energy songs are reverberating throughout the country.

“A lot of people follow him.

He’s very diverse…his beats are Bay Area, but he has LA swag,” said Contreras. “And when I say swag, it’s more than just the clothes, it’s the flavor that he brings to hip-hop.”

Contreras hoped the event, which was free for all SF State students and one pre-registered guest, would boost school spirit and bring more people to campus.

According to Contreras, they had to shut down registration several hours before the show.

At 300 students and their guests, they were already close to capacity.

“More people will want to come here, stay and be a part of the culture here, because what this is doing is creating culture and community,” said rapper and senior BECA major, Michael

PHOTOS BY LORISA SALVATIN / XPRESS

TOP: Iamsu! performs on stage for a full house in the Annex Friday, April 18.

BELOW: The crowd takes out their phones to take photos as Iamsu! takes the stage in the Annex Friday, April 18.

Payton, known by his stage name M. Payton. “I think things like this are great, not only for artists such as myself to get the opportunity to be exposed and hear great music, but it’s also great because it brings attention to our school.”

M. Payton, who has been rapping and producing his own music since he was 11, felt honored to share the stage with someone like Iamsu!, a local Bay Area musician who made it big.

He also has big aspirations to change the way people feel about hip-hop music.

“It all starts with a vision, and I’m a visionary,” he said. “I just really want to do what I love to do and that’s the feeling that I want to spread to everybody else.”

“These student performers, they got so much energy,” said Contreras. “So showcasing our students at SF State, under someone like Iamsu!, that’s big to me…showcasing the talent

that we have at our school, to our school.”

Student performer Chris O’Bannon felt that hosting the show on campus helped unite the student body.

He thought that having students open for a big-name performer like Iamsu! would inspire and resonate with students.

“I am a student,” said O’Bannon, a sophomore. “After this show, I’m gonna be in class with everybody who’s in the crowd.”

A sea of crop top-donning and snapback-adorned rap fans vigorously bobbed up and down in time to the music, marked by repetitive melodies and lyrics, rapid hi-hats and fast-paced, catchy beats.

“It’s different than the usual Friday night,” said Maddie Elling, a dance major at SF State.

“It shakes things up.”

Iamsu! will be shaking things up with his debut album, “Sincerely Yours,” produced by HBK Gang, dropping May 13.

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Arts & Entertainment

PROFESSOR BRINGS A TASTE OF OPERA TO CAMPUS

RACHEL ASTON / XPRESS

BIKE JEWERLY: Ana Bel shows Sol Reyes how to cut bike tire tubes for an earring at the opening reception of Sweet Ride, a bike-oriented art show, Thursday April 17 at the Cesar Chavez Student Center.

Students urged to ditch cars for bikes

BY ANGELICA WILLIAMS | anwms@mail.sfsu.edu

T

BY ANNA HECHT ahecht@mail.sfsu.edu

he setting: San Francisco, 1945.

The people: nurses and Navy men.

The adaptation: Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” The point: forget everything you think you know about opera.

SF State professor Christine Brandes is bringing a unique approach in her musical, “Beatrice and Benedick,” based on Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” a play involving trickery among the characters and exploration of the lives and crossed paths of the two title characters.

Brandes, who teaches an opera workshop, is the perfect person to direct the latest theater department production. Brandes is a professional opera singer and has starred as a soloist all throughout the U.S. since age 26, including her work at the San Francisco Opera in early 2000.

Brandes’ vision of this play arrived before the pre-production process began. She said audiences should expect to see the results of the hard work that the crew put in, involving the scenery and experience of the opera.

“The set design is fantastic,” Brandes said. “The audience will immediately be taken by the size and complexity of the set.”

The look of “Beatrice and Benedick” is inspired by what Brandes calls the “old-school, golden age of Broadway,” because it’s more of a fun musical than anything else. The show is two acts and sticks to a less-traditional sense of opera by featuring more spoken dialogue and musical numbers.

The show’s Musical Director Cyrus Ginwala notes that the opera pulls from the work of French composer Hector

PHOTOS BY JESSICA CHRISTIAN / XPRESS

SETTING UP: (TOP) Mara McMillan (Beatrice) and Blake Quin (Benedick) perform a scene from Beatrice and Benedick in the Little Theater at SF State Tuesday, April 22. (BOTTOM RIGHT) Director Christine Brandes (left) speaks with production manager Natasha Laidlaw during a tech rehearsal for Beatrice and Benedick in SF State’s Little Theater Saturday, April 19.

Berlioz, popular in the early nineteenth century.

“His music is really quite unique,” Ginwala said. “He uses the orchestra and the singers in ways you don’t find in other operas. It’s very good for the subject matter of this show because he loves to write tricky rhythms and in tricky time signatures, and because there’s a lot of trickery in the plot of this show, it meshes well with what’s going on onstage.”

Brandes wanted to place the show in San Francisco at the end of World War II because of the impact of that time period, in addition to the great fashions of the decade. The show’s design also highlights the beauty of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands in its background, and features well-known locations in the city, such as the Gordon Getty House.

Another unique aspect of this opera is that Brandes is using two casts for the main characters in the show. This means there are two Beatrice characters, two Benedick characters and two Hero characters.

Brielle Neilson plays one of the Beatrice roles and said working with both casts during rehearsals has been going pretty

smoothly. Neilson is an SF State alumna who received her master’s in vocal performance last spring, but auditioned for the part because she had a more developed, operatic voice perfect for the character. “(Beatrice is) a great role to play,” Neilson said. “(She is) a strong female character who knows her mind and has something to offer the world.”

Blake Quin, who plays one of the Benedick characters, said he has enjoyed acting in the opera and having Brandes as a director. Quin acted in Brandes other opera, “Dido and Aeneas,” last year and noted her as an “all-star” director and singer.

Quin believes that no matter what cast audiences come see of “Beatrice and Benedick,” they will be thoroughly pleased.

“It’s a very witty, funny script,” Quin said. “I think that the interactions between all of the actors on stage are very good. I know I’ve watched it a couple of times and every time I catch something different and I’m tickled. It’s very funny.”

“Beatrice and Benedick” runs at 8 p.m. April 24-26 and May 1-3, and at 2 p.m. April 27 and May 4 in Little Theatre. Tickets are $5–$15.

Dodging in and out of a crowded 19th Avenue can be a terrifying experience for a bicyclist. There are buses, trains, cars flipping U-turns and college kids and high schoolers all sharing the roads and sidewalks. The organizers of the “Sweet Ride” exhibit want to show the campus the benefits in ditching their car or monthly MUNI pass, and hopping on a bike.

Curator Carolyn Ho and organizers Sharon Daraphonhdeth and Cameron Bingley hosted the opening reception “Sweet Ride” Thursday, April 17, in the Cesar Chavez Student Center, which was funded by the Greenovation grant supporting universities sustainable-related projects.

“The idea for the exhibit came from seeing a need to increase bike ridership on campus,” said Bingley. Being that SF State is a commuter university, they wanted to have students know there are other ways to commute to the campus that aren’t reliant on public transportation.

The white walls of the Cesar Chavez’s Student Gallery, filled with the warm glow of lights, invited students in to enjoy the “bike mixer” smoothie bar, a DIY bike jewelry booth and photographs from Bike East Bay and SF Bicycling Coalition.

Members of the two organizations were on hand to show an interactive bike map for bikers to mark out their routes with different colored strings, while attendants were entertained with live indie rock music.

Students were given the chance to enter a raffle to win two donated bikes. A refurbished bike created by SF Yellow Bike, a non-profit, volunteer-powered community bicycle shop, won

by Joy Querida.

MAPS: Jordon Laks, a student with SF State’s The second was College of Extended Learning, pins down his a Doppelganger most frequent bike route at the opening reception brand from Japan, of Sweet Ride, a bike oriented art show, Thursday won by Crissann April 17 at Cesar Chavez Student Center.

Branchromb.

Melanie Lindow, a senior English major, who came to enter into the raffle, said “I’m surprised how big the biking community of people is and how they want to bike together.”

The night continued with speaker Chris Carlsson, co-founder of Critical Mass, a monthly mass bicycling ride that takes place on the last Friday of each month in cities around the world, who talked to students about “Bicycling’s defiant celebration: an irresistible invitation.”

Formed in 1992, Critical Mass was an idea from Carlsson and a number of friends who wanted to ride their bikes home from work together and establish new friendships, according to Carlsson, who has been biking since 1979.

Bennett Marko, a sophomore music major, heard about the exhibit through word of mouth. “I knew SF had a big biking community. It’s cool because it reminds me of the biking community in Los Angeles,” he said.

The night wrapped up with speaker Ana Bel of La Loba Loca, a member of the Masociclistas and Multicultural Communities for Mobility in Los Angeles, and a discussion titled “Navigating the streets: a talk on bikes, gender, DIY, culture and race.” Bel’s talk aimed to educate students on the rights of bikers of minority groups and sexual orientation.

Daraphonhdeth said she and Bingley want to focus on biking organization advocacy, lifestyle and community, as well as launching a “Power to the Pedal” bicycle fix-it station on campus in coordination with the Bike Barn in the fall. The exhibit will run until April 25 in the Student Center.

Sports

APRIL 23, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

11

Baseball splits series with top 20 ranked UC San Diego able to grind out a 3-1 victory to split their doubleheader games with UC San Diego Friday, to put them in position to seal a series With a chance to come out win Saturday. on top in a series against a top “We don’t have guys on our 20 team, errors and a scoring team that are going to hit home drought in the final three innings runs (like the Tritons do), so it’s forced SF State’s baseball team always execution that we have to focus on,” said outfielder Dillon Meyer.

However the Gators came up short, losing 6-4 Saturday.

“Errors.

Errors hurt us today; errors killed us,” said first baseman Garrett PHOTO BY RACHEL ASTON / XPRESS Heisinger.

TAGGED: SF State’s Garret Heisinger attempts to tag out UC San Diego’s Erik Lewis during the first “If we can’t game of a doubleheader against SF State at SF State’s Maloney Field Friday, April 18. SF State lost play defense

BY NELSON AMAYA slenon44@mail.sfsu.edu

to settle for the split.

The Gators were able to grab the first game of the weekend series against the No. 18 ranked Tritons Thursday April 17, outlasting them 7-6.

After a 17-3 beatdown by UC San Diego, the Gators were

goldengatexpress.org

the first game 17-3 but rebounded in the second and won 3-1.

for our pitcher then it ends up hurting us a lot.”

Heisinger led the offense with three hits and one run in his four at bats.

In the field, the Gators’ defense struggled against the Tritons as it finished the day with four errors.

After starting pitcher Nolan Sheridan got two quick outs in the fourth, the Tritons refused to go down easily. After a fielding error, UC San Diego managed to squeeze in three unearned runs before the Gators could escape the inning.

“We broke down defensively,” head coach Mike Cummins said. “We gave up six runs and only two were earned. I think that was what shot us in the foot today.”

Sheridan, who took the loss and is now 2-7 on the season, went five innings and gave up five runs on 11 hits with one strikeout. Relief pitcher Taylor

Wade came in the sixth and allowed only one run in his three innings of relief work.

“I really wanted to get this win today,” Wade said. “I gave it all I had today and just tried to get us some momentum going our way on the offense.”

The Gators are now 6-2 in their last eight games, which include their sweep of the defending champion Cal State L.A. Golden Eagles last week.

This recent stretch of success comes after a trying time for the Gators, which saw them lose 13 of 14 games, including a season high, 12 straight losses.

“Overall, the last two weeks I’m very happy,” Cummins said.

“We went 6-2 against two good teams. We’re in sixth place, fighting to finish .500. Our guys are hanging in there and doing a really good job.”

The team will next travel to Dominguez Hills April 25 for its series against the Toros.

12

Sports

APRIL 23, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

THE BIG

CLIMB

BY MICHAEL DURAN | michaeld@mail.sfsu.edu

en Gershen had just enough battery on his iPod to play one more song as he looked out 19,000 feet above Africa. He scrolled and scrolled and finally found the right one.

Just as the sun began to rise, the lyrics of “Africa” by Toto began to play in his ears.

Gershen, only 15 at the time, had climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, a journey which took the teenager seven arduous days to complete, five days going up the mountain and another two descending it.

“I (tried) to focus on small things, just one step or I just want to make it to that rock then to the next one,” said Gershen, now a 23-year-old SF State student. “And I noticed I’m not a social hiker, I’m just in my mind, like don’t talk to me.”

Mt. Kilimanjaro is located in Southern Africa in the country of Tanzania, and is one of the tallest mountains in the world, standing 19,341 feet high.

A group of what started out as 12 climbers embarked on a journey to the top, but less than half would actually make it there.

One of the climbers, Gershen’s stepmom Joy Becker, 62, is an avid climber having already climbed Mt. Whitney, the highest summit in the United States.

THE STORY OF HOW A 15-YEAR-OLD ASCENDED MT. KILIMANJARO

“I first asked Ben if he wanted to come along (on) the climb,” said Becker. “He agreed, so I was like, ‘Let’s check with mom first.’”

The first days of the climb consisted of beautiful scenery and a relaxed environment, even though the climbers hiked 20 miles every day. The group enjoyed the early climb before they faced the difficult part.

Gershen and the rest of the group were always being advised to slow down and stay calm. The locals of Tanzania would repeat this, making sure the group would not forget.

“The locals and the guides would keep saying ‘poli poli!’ which in Swahili means chill, relax, or take it easy,” said Gershen.

As the altitude increased, some of the climbers began to feel sick. The guides advised those climbers to begin to descend; the only cure for altitude sickness is to turn around and go back down.

By the time the group had reached Gilman’s Point, a major turnaround spot, the number of climbers had been cut in half. This was the last stop before the last push to the summit of the mountain.

Becker and Gershen both made it to this stop and stayed in the same tent at Gilman’s Point. One night, both were having dinner in the tent and suddenly, erupted in laughter for the next 10 minutes.

“Yeah I don’t know why, but we

just bursted out laughing,” said Becker. “I think it was the combination of the altitude and how exhausted we were.”

Once they reached the camp, they went to sleep around noon since they would be up at midnight to begin the last push. They made sure the climb began at midnight because the ground was frozen, making it easier to climb.

“There’s this joke where if you saw the trail ahead of you, you would probably turn around,” said Gershen.

“That’s why we did it in the dark.”

The last push would take eight hours. Gershen had reached the falls summit, with five other climbers. By the time he reached the summit, Gershen’s water was completely frozen.

His eyes began to twitch; it became hard to open his eyelids, and he began feeling the effects of dehydration.

Samuel, the main guide of the climb, examined every climber. He held a torch up to their eyes, checking their pupils.

“He looked into my eyes with a torch,” said Judy MacArthur, family friend of Gershen and organizer of the climb. “He could tell whether or not who could continue on.”

MacArthur, a UK resident, is a worldwide climber, having climbed Mount Kinabalu in Southeast Asia.

She believed that Gershen would make it to the top.

“Ben was one of the youngest on the climb,” said MacArthur. “I kind

ALTITUDE: Ben Gershen stands on Mt. Kilamanjaro in Tanzania at the age of 15 in February 2006.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN GERSHEN / SPECIAL TO XPRESS

There’s this joke where if you saw the trail ahead of you, you would probably turn around.

That’s why we did it in the dark.

Ben Gershen

of knew that he would make it to the top.”

Gershen was advised to head back down, due to the frozen water.

He had reached the summit, but could not make it to the top of the glacier. The last climb around to the other side of mountain would take another hour and a half.

Gershen was not able to reach the top, due to his physical state, and had to turn back.

Although the majority of the trip was focused on climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, Gershen took something else from the trip.

“It was the first time I saw poverty on a wide-scale,” said Gershen.

“The trip was arched with this theme that there’s a lot of people out there that don’t have it as good as me.”

Gershen believes that the climb changed his perspective and how he lives his life today.

“I don’t really have bad days, ever,” said Gershen. “Part of that for me is perspective. Realizing I can be stressed out on this and that, but at least I don’t have to walk six miles for water.”

After climbing most of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Gershen would do it again, with another goal in mind.

“I would go back and climb all the way to the top,” said Gershen.

“They say in climbing, you reach your own summit, next time I will make it to the top.”

14

Opinion

APRIL 23, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

Don’t torment your body with a fad diet

ANDREW CULLEN

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

JORDAN HUNTER

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR jordanh@mail.sfsu.edu

NENA FARRELL

ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR haydee@mail.sfsu.edu

NATALIE YEMENIDIJAN ART DIRECTOR nataliey@mail.sfsu.edu

EVELYN CAICEDO

ART ASSISTANT ecaicedo@mail.sfsu.edu

BAILEY RIDDLE

COPY EDITOR briddle@mail.sfsu.edu

JESSICA CHRISTIAN PHOTO EDITOR jac@mail.sfsu.edu

BRADLEY FOCHT

NEWS EDITOR bfocht@mail.sfsu.edu

DAVID MARIUZ

NEWS EDITOR dmariuz@mail.sfsu.edu

LAUREN SEWARD

A&E EDITOR lseward@mail.sfsu.edu

ANNASTASHIA GOOLSBY OPINION EDITOR agoolsby@mail.sfsu.edu

CURTIS UEMURA

SPORTS EDITOR cuemura@mail.sfsu.edu

MICHAEL DURAN

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR michaeld@mail.sfsu.edu

RACHEL ASTON

W

BY ANNASTASHIA GOOLSBY | agoolsby@mail.sfsu.edu

ant to lose 20 pounds in 10 days? It’s easy. You can continue eating anything you like and still lose the weight. It’s utterly amazing.

We’ve all heard this marketing ploy for fad diets that are solely a temporary fix for weight loss.

Yet somehow they always seem to snag people who are naïve enough to believe such a tactic.

Then there are others who take dieting into their own hands and resort to some kind of fast.

Whether it’s to quickly lose weight to fit into their wedding dress or to look good in time for beach season, a poorly planned diet can be extremely harmful to one’s health and body.

We’ve heard about the strict cabbage soup diet and the Master Cleanse — a mixture of water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper and maple syrup — that is supposed to supplement every meal for several days.

How do these “diets” seem even remotely healthy?

Experts have done extensive research on crash diets, otherwise known as very low calorie diets,

BY APRIL HALOG avhalog@mail.sfsu.edu

WILL CARRUTHERS

America has a major crush when it comes to diets. Losing weight and eating healthier food are the most popular New Year’s resolutions.

Yet, when people hear or see the word diet, a picture of someone sitting down to a small plate of lettuce comes to mind. Or a young, pretty girl starving herself because she thinks she is too fat.

Considering how often fad diets take America by storm and fade away within a few months such as the Atkins and gluten-free diets, it’s easy to scoff at the latest diet and call the dieters suckers for participating.

However, the perception on dieting needs to change. Diets are a good thing.

RACHELE KANIGEL

PRINT ADVISER kanigel@mail.sfsu.edu

SCOT TUCKER

MULTIMEDIA ADVISER tucker@sfsu.edu

KEN KOBRE

PHOTO ADVISER ken@kobre.com

EVA CHARLES

ADVERTISING & BUSINESS echarles@mail.sfsu.edu

ARUN UNNIKRISHNAN I.T. CONSULTANT arun@mail.sfsu.edu

SADE BROWNE

ART BY JORDAN CERMINARA

The latter is the body’s main source of fuel for energy; so if you want to cut carbs, cut simple carbs — cake, candy, cookies, alcohol — not energy-producing carbs.

As for low-fat and fat-free products, they can actually contain more calories because they need additional ingredients in order to taste good after the fat has been removed.

If you’re going to eat sugar, it’s better to consume the real product than an artificially created substance.

It’s the same idea as choos-

ing to not eat a hamburger from McDonalds because the original origin is unknown.

And skipping a meal entirely is just the worst idea ever. Not only are you depriving your body of nutrients it needs to survive, you will only be that much more hungry when it does come time to eat. This will inevitably lead to you eating more.

Not only are diets unhealthy, they can be extremely dangerous if not monitored correctly.

Granted, diets can be successful if done properly but otherwise it’s just torture on your body.

Diets are a lifestyle choice, not just self-starvation

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR raston@mail.sfsu.edu MULTIMEDIA EDITOR wcarruth@mail.sfsu.edu

and the irreparable damage it causes to the body.

According to an article on CNN, diets such as these create a shortage of potassium, magnesium and copper that can lead to heart arrhythmia.

There have also been studies that these diets can lead to a drop in blood pressure and sodium depletion.

We only have one body on this Earth, don’t kill it by lazily looking into a diet that is practically starving yourself.

Despite the obvious reasons as to why neither of these diets are healthy, there are other methods people use to lose weight that are just as bad.

Ever heard to stop eating carbs because they are fattening?

To only eat low-fat or fat-free products? To avoid real sugar and use Splenda? Or to just skip a meal all together?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but these and a ton of the other fad diets people have the desire to try are just false and bad decisions waiting to be made.

According to the Weight-Control Information Network, there are two different types of carbohydrates: simple carbs and complex carbs.

Not all diets require people to starve themselves or drink weird liquid concoctions. The majority of diets promote healthy eating — people just need to do their research first.

Instead of looking at diets as a way to lose weight, start looking at diets as a conduit to healthier eating habits and a healthier lifestyle.

There’s no shame in counting calories. If someone goes on a diet to better themselves, more power to them. Who are we to judge or shame them because they choose to eat lean chicken with steamed broccoli instead of a double double and animal-style fries?

There’s no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” diet. Not everybody is the same, so not every diet works for everyone;

hence the endless diet plans and programs. The majority of people are on a diet in some form or another.

The only difference is that not all people who diet do it to lose pounds.

People who take part in plant-based diets such as vegetarianism and veganism do it for environmental, religious and/or ethical reasons.

In some cases, people partake in the restrictive diets because they have to due to health issues.

Many scoff at the gluten-free diet as another celebrity diet fad but for people who actually have celiac disease, it is not a fad.

They have no other choice.

Celiac disease is a digestive and autoimmune disorder that results in damage in the small intestine after eating food with

gluten.

About 1 percent of the U.S. population has the disease, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

Thanks to the gluten-free diet craze, there are more gluten-free products on store shelves making it easier for those with gluten allergies to find foods they can eat.

Only when taken to the extreme, diets do more harm than good and can even lead to death.

A lot of people who participate in the latest crash or fad diets expect instant results and skip the exercise — a key component to weight loss. Dieting encompasses a lot of aspects, not just depriving yourself of a certain food.

Nothing in life is easy.

Dieting and losing weight is no different.

CIRCULATION sbrowne822@gmail.com

ALEXANDRA SOISETH

STUDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER asoiseth@verizon.net

XPRESS YOURSELF

WRITE US A LETTER The Golden Gate Xpress accepts letters no longer than 200 words.

Letters are subject to editing.

Send letters to Annastashia Goolsby at: agoolsby@mail.sfsu.edu

ABOUT XPRESS The Golden Gate Xpress is a student-produced publication of the journalism department at San Francisco State University.

For more information or comments, please contact Andrew Cullen at: culle010@mail.sfsu.edu

WE ASKED SF STATE STUDENTS:

How do you feel about fad diets?

Reporting by: Michael Duran Photos by: Gavin McIntyre

“

It’s a popularity gain.

Who can wear the tightest yoga pants?

”“

RUSSELL HORVATH GRAD STUDENT

”“

I’m from Europe so it’s totally different for me. No one cares over there because I believe the food is healthier.

NATASHA KOROLEVA, SENIOR THEATER

”

People jump on it because it’s what is in right now. It makes people feel better about themselves.

TIFFANY VU, SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS

Opinion

APRIL 23, 2014 GOLDENGATEXPRESS.ORG

15

SF residents are too self-absorbed

BY CHLOE JOHNSON chloej@mail.sfsu.edu

L

ast week, a homeless man in San Francisco agreed to be outfitted with a high tech camera for a day, for the purpose of giving more affluent San Franciscans the experience of seeing the world through the point of view of a homeless person, according to Homeless GoPro. The results of this exper-

iment: the vast majority of passers-by completely ignored the man and walked by as if he wasn’t even there.

The way San Franciscans treated this homeless man was symptomatic of a general culture of apathy, not only in San Francisco but all across this country.

Unfortunately though, as someone who’s also lived back East, it definitely seems worse here. This is not only depressing but also somewhat surprising, considering the Bay Area is famous for being politically active.

While there are still rallies and protests here, it seems like this spirit doesn’t carry into everyday life.

It’s not just the homeless either.

Pedestrians give the deaf act to petitioners and political activists, shoppers ignore service workers — who themselves sometimes ignore customers — and bus riders let grisly crimes occur without even looking up.

It’s understandable that no one wants to be bothered but part of the price we pay

to live in civilization is that we have to deal with other people.

The very minimum level of interaction that’s acceptable should be at least saying “I’ve got to get to work,” not staring straight ahead like you’re looking at nothing.

This is a problem because sometimes there are real issues that need to be noticed in order to be fixed.

There have been several times when someone on the streets of San Francisco looked

ART BY JORDAN CERMINARA

obviously mentally ill or on drugs and the reaction of every person passing by has been to look away and not even let it bother them.

While there’s not much one person can do in that situation, why aren’t people demanding that politicians invest in mental health services? Why does no one call police or social services?

Why is the nearest six-foottall, 200 pound man not going up to the person and saying that maybe they shouldn’t be doing a strip tease dance in the middle of traffic?

This isn’t a problem that’s going to be fixed overnight, but like helping the environment or ending racism, each one of us can take baby steps every day to end this culture of apathy.

Start by actually saying something to every single person who addresses you, even if it’s “leave me alone.” Program helpful numbers into your phone like the police, public hospital and Muni headquarters.

If you feel safe doing so and no one is armed, get in someone’s face once in a while and ask them to stop smoking in the bus shelter or throwing their trash on the ground.

Living in a society means that we need to do our part to care about our fellow human beings, no matter who they are or how much they annoy you.

Come volunteer at the

13th Annual New Living Expo San Mateo Event Center April 25 - 27, 2014

We are expecting 10,000+ attendees at this vibrant event which focuses on holistic, sustainable, spiritual, and alternative products and ideas. Some volunteer jobs require you to be on your feet for 4-5 hours, may require some lifting, and a friendly demeanor.

Why volunteer at New Living Expo? * Free admission on the day of your shift * Free additional admission ticket for you or a friend * Free special event ticket for working 2 or more shifts * Free Saturday evening after-party * Access to 180+ exhibits, speakers & workshops * Meet new people * Fun, Fun, Fun

Volunteer sign up is available at www.newlivingexpo.com/volunteer or call 415-382-8300 for more information.